File systems store the most recent data. File systems can be restored to an earlier state from saved backup media. In database systems, earlier database transaction can be retrieved using transaction logs and backup retrieval. Other backup and restore mechanisms are available for computer system. It would however be desirable to allow data or file system environment that can be moved back and forth in time, for instance, to enable a user to view different data change events that occurred through time.
As an example, known information systems incur discrepancy as a result of many different kinds of causal events. A discrepancy normally means that the information system referred to as a data environment used to manage real world environment (live environment) is inconsistent with the live environment. It is uncommon for discrepancies to be detected immediately. Typically, a significant time lapses before a discrepant condition is recognized. This lapse can cause the discrepancy to compound or propagate into a wider context. Events that would not normally occur or should not occur do happen as a result of the causal event that caused the discrepancy. In addition, multiple causal events may occur in a system causing a cascade of discrepancies. Cascade discrepancies may create difficult to reconcile conditions.
A data environment contains representations of elements in a live environment. An example of a live environment is an inventory environment. Data environment may include a computer or the like and data stored and processed with the computer. The data represents the live environment. The computer includes programs, modules, code of instructions, or the like or other means to manipulate the data, for instance, in response to some stimulus from the live environment. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have data environment that provides time traversal facilities, for instance, to enable discovery as well as recovery of discrepant conditions in live and data environments.